Laura Vega and Cecilia Bercovich Win 2026 National Music Awards
Composer Laura Vega and performer Cecilia Bercovich have been named the winners of the 2026 National Music Awards, each receiving a 30,000-euro prize in recognition of their significant contributions to the Spanish musical landscape.
The Ministry of Culture has announced the winners of the 2026 National Music Awards: composer Laura Vega and performer Cecilia Bercovich. Each recipient will receive a 30,000-euro prize, honoring their outstanding contributions to music over the past year.
In the Composition category, the jury selected Laura Vega (Gran Canaria, 1978) for her ability to blend the musical traditions of the Canary Islands with modern, avant-garde styles. With a catalog of over eighty works, Vega was specifically recognized for her 2025 premieres, including Riojana for guitar and orchestra and the Al-Wadi brass quintet. A student of renowned masters like José Luis de Delás and José María Sánchez Verdú, Vega has become a leading voice in the industry, recently earning nominations for both the Canary Islands Music Awards and the Spanish Music Academy awards for her piece Galdosiana.
The Performance award goes to violinist and violist Cecilia Bercovich (Madrid, 1986), who is also an expert on the viola d'amore. The jury praised her technical versatility and her busy 2025 schedule, which included collaborations with world-class groups such as the MusicAeterna Orchestra and the Lucerne Festival Ensemble. Beyond her performance skills, she was recognized for her dedication to contemporary music; last year alone, she premiered sixteen new works, with a special focus on promoting pieces by Spanish female composers.
Bercovich, who studied under legends like Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman, balances her performing career with teaching as a Professor of Viola at the Conservatorio Superior de Murcia. Her work spans chamber music, improvisation, and appearances at major European festivals. By honoring these two artists, the Ministry of Culture celebrates both the technical excellence and the creative innovation that define today’s Spanish musical landscape.